As an African American parent, Cassandre Dunbar in Charlotte, North Carolina, always knew she and her husband would have \u201cthe talk\u201d with their son, the one preparing him for interactions with law enforcement.<\/p>\n
But she never dreamed it would be necessary at 5 years old.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought the cops were supposed to help us? Are they only helpful to white people?\u201d he asked after taking in TV coverage of protests and overhearing his parents discuss the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor.<\/p>\n
Ms. Dunbar explained to her eldest child: \u201cSome people have a hard time understanding that skin color doesn\u2019t have anything to do with what kind of person you are. I said that, yes, cops are meant to help us all, but some cops aren\u2019t good cops and the bad ones really aren\u2019t helpful to people who look like us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Many parents of all races are struggling with similar conversations after a week of outrage and sadness that spilled into streets worldwide after video of Mr. Floyd’s death emerged. It came after months of family togetherness in coronavirus lockdown, a time when kids have been cut off from schools and peers.<\/p>\n
Read it all<\/a>.<\/p>\n Research suggests children as young as two begin internalizing racist ideas. Amid the unrest around protests, parents and educators are flocking to anti-racism literature to help navigate challenging conversations. https:\/\/t.co\/z0S97jwRfL<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 The Christian Science Monitor (@csmonitor) June 4, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n